Terror Beneath the Sea
by MLaw
Summary: Is Illya dead? Napoleon fears it's true. Originally posted for the PicFic Tuesday Challenge on section7mfu, live journal. Pre-saga, very mild language.


The water was beautifully clear as Illya Kuryakin, dressed only in his underwear and scuba gear searched the bottom a lagoon off a small island not far from Bora Bora for an important piece of electronics.

It was sent flying overboard the yacht he and his partner were on during a very animated fist fight between the two U.N.C.L.E. agents and three T.H.R.U.S.H. goons.

.

The American and Russian had worked like clockwork, standing back-to-back as they threw their punches, kicks and karate chops, until there remained only one feathered foe left standing.

"You're not gonna get this," he produced a small black box from his pocket. "If T.H.R.U.S.H. can't have it then nobody can."

In one single motion, he tossed it over his shoulder, and it disappeared into the water, sinking like a proverbial rock.

"Why you…" Solo let loose a mighty punch, connecting with the man's jaw and knocking him to the deck. His body lay sprawled beside his compatriots, and Illya quickly tied them up with nautical rope.

"Owwww," Napoleon grimaced as he shook his hand. "I hope I didn't break something."

"Let me see," Kuryakin took hold of it, examining the fingers and knuckles; suddenly, he slapped his palm against his partners."

"Jesus Illya, why the hell'd you do that?" Napoleon hissed, babying his stinging hand.

"Nothing was broken, and that was a test to see if your had any nerve damage. By your reaction, your pain receptors are working fine," Illya smiled.

"Very funny. Just for that you can be the one to dive for the box."

"I have no problem doing so…" Illya shrugged, going immediately to an oxygen tank, and other diving paraphernalia that was on the deck near the cabin door.

He checked to make sure the tank was full, and pointed out the diving mask was the kind that had a built in microphone.

"I am sure you can use the radio below to communicate with me while I dive….if that is all right with you?" The Russian was in a rather snarky mood.

"Sure, sure chum. I can do that," Napoleon abandoned his momentary annoyance with his partner.

"Good, I will not be too long as I have a good idea where it went down," Illya said with confidence." Given the current, allowing for drift, it should not be too far off."

Illya stripped down to his jockey shorts, donned the flippers, weight belt, mask and strapped the oxygen tank to his back. He sat on the railing, as seagulls swooped above his head and gave a little wave to his partner before he leapt into the water; disappearing amidst a frenzy of air bubbles.

He could see the bottom easily, covered with a brightly colored coral and myriads of plant life that swayed to and fro with the current. This was going to make his search harder as the box was no doubt lost among the lagoon flora.

Schools of silver and orange fish numbering in the hundreds swirled around him; their scales shimmering in the rays of sunlight that rippled down through the water as they nearly blended in with the brightly colored coral.

They seemingly ignored him as he swam along the bottom, sweeping thought the plants, trying to feel for the box.

All of a sudden they were gone; the fish vanished as if someone had snapped a finger. That gave the Russian an uneasy feeling, making him turn around, looking behind him. In the distance he spotted a large ominous shadow moving slowly towards him.

_"Chyort_," he cursed," Napoleon there is a shark, a very big one."

"Can you make it back to the boat?"

"I can try…"

He began paddling like a madman, heading to what looked like the shadow of the yacht. Illya tried not to look over his shoulder again, but his nervous curiosity got the better of him and he peeked.

Napoleon heard his partner let out a garbled scream.

"Illya? ILLYA?" He called to him.

Kuryakin turned to see the shark was now just behind him; it's maw opening wide to feed. He felt a tug on his leg, and realized it had bitten down on one of his flippers, and in a near panic the Russian wiggled free of it.

Swimming for his life; he headed towards the boat, until he realized it was an outcrop with a small opening, and not the shadow from the yacht.

He was lost, and he knew it, and dove into the opening. Thankfully it was too small at least for the hungry shark to follow, though Illya had no idea what could be inside. Moray eels were notorious for such hiding places. It might be a case of out of the frying pan into the fire...

The nearly exhausted Russian continued moving forward, realizing the cave was bigger than he expected, he sensed a surface above h and swimming upwards, he emerged into a small grotto.

"Napoleon, I am all right. I have taken refuge in an underground cave."

There was no reply.

"Can you hear me?"

Nothing. Illya presumed the cave walls were blocking the signal and let out a long sigh once he caught his breath. There was nothing to do but wait it out until the shark went on its merry way, and who knew how long that would take. Some of these creatures could be rather territorial, so the beast might be lurking nearby for a while.

At least there was air in the grotto, saving the oxygen in the tank...quite a bit had been used due to his energetic swim to get away, but still there should be enough for him to get to the surface, from there he could visually locate the boat.

There were luminescent plankton everywhere, lighting the bottom in an ethereal blue glow. The roof of the cave reflected back the light, giving the Russian a modicum of comfort at not being in complete darkness.

Illya pulled himself from the water, finding a ledge on which to wait, and watched as a few crabs scuttled about in the water on the floor of the grotto.

BioLuminescence was fascinating but at the moment Illya was more preoccuped with getting out of this place with all of his body parts intact.

He sighed, leaning back his head and closed his eyes, trying not to think about the close call he'd had with the apex predator, from the looks of it... carcharhinus leucas, otherwise known as a bull shark. They were known to feast on humans more so than any other shark, even the great white.

As usual, Illya considered his luck questionable at best. It was good that he got away from the shark, and found the grotto but bad that it was the type of shark that might not give up so easily on its quarry.

He was now trapped for all intents and purposes. Finding the black box would have to wait for another dive, hopefully a more successful and safer one.

"Napoleon.._.chyort vos mi,"_ he cursed again. The last thing he'd told his partner was that he was being pursued by a shark. Solo might believe he'd been killed, since there had been no further communication between them; who knew what his partner was thinking of doing.

.

Napoleon continued to yell into the microphone to no avail. It was then he headed up top, looking over the side for his partner. All he could see was the shape of a shark fin about a hundred yards off the port side.

"You son of a bitch, you better not have hurt him," he yelled at the shark.

Solo, being an expert boatsman, started the inboard motor and slowly brought the yacht about, heading in the direction of the circling shark.

There was no sign of blood in the water, and the creature seemed to be searching, presumably for the Russian.

Something told Napoleon his partner was still alive, and he waited...watching the shark and searching the water with a pair of binoculars for any sign of Illya. He began to perspire in the midday sun as it reflected off the surface of the water. Periodically the silence would be broken by the cry of a seagull or some tropical bird.

Eventually the shark had to swim off, at least that's what Solo hoped as Illya had only so much oxygen in his tank.

"Oh God, what if he's trapped and his air runs out? He'll have to make a swim for it and that shark will surely get him if he does." He imagined Illya hidden somewhere among the coral….though why no radio signal had him worried. What if he'd drowned?" His heart started pounding, thinking of that awful feeling; is own personal phobit.

"Stop it Solo," he ordered himself,"Illya's fine. He's always fine, so stop projecting your own fears into this." That's what he told himself, though deep down, Illya having drowned made sense… and then the shark would feast on his partner's body. "

Like hell he would."

Napoleon went below, searching for a weapon and there he found a T.H.R.U.S.H. rifle complete with a scope. He'd kill the damned shark if he had to…

And so he waited, watching the shark's fin as the rest of it glided beneath the waters of the calm lagoon. It was almost hypnotic as it circled and swam to and fro.

It was over an hour now, and that didn't bode well for the Russian. His air had to have run out, and still there was no sign of him.

"Dammit, Illya where are you?" The American mumbled under his breath.

.

Illya had dozed off as he counted down the time he thought wise to make a break for it. He guessed an hour would suffice, but having fallen asleep he was unsure as to how much time had actually passed.

The water level was higher within the grotto, telling him the tide was coming in, and doing some quick calculating in his head, he figured not much more than an hour had passed. Still Napoleon would no doubt be worried, or at worst think his partner was indeed dead.

Illya put on his tank and mask, and the remaining flipper, though that would make swimming a bit difficult. Once he reached the opening to the grotto entrance, he peered around, seeing nothing.

"Napoleon, are you there?" He spoke into the radio, but there was no answer.

.

Solo leaned against the railing, taking aim at the big shark. If it had killed his partner; he would at least have revenge by killing it, and knowing it would not take another human life again. In his heart of hearts, he hoped Illya was still alive, and just trapped beneath the water by the presence of the shark….though his oxygen was probably gone at this point and he drowned. Still that was the fault of the shark even it it hadn't eaten the stringy little Russian.

He raised the rifle, taking a bead on the creature when it suddenly changed directed and swam off heading away.

Minutes later Napoleon saw a blond head break the surface of the water and an arm waving at him.

Overjoyed, he started up the engine, heading to his partner and throwing him a line.

Once Illya was hauled on board, he grabbed the man, pulling him into a bear hug.

"Man I thought I'd lost you."

"I thought I had lost me too, " the Russian smiled. "I was not happy about being an appetizer for a bull shark."

"Yeah that's about right, you'd be an appetizer and not a main course….not enough meat on your bones for that," Napoleon jabbed.

"For once my friend, I agree with you," Illya sighed.

"Come on let's get to shore. We can look for the box tomorrow."

"Better still, let us call in a team, give them the coordinates and have them look for it," Illya said as he dressed himself in his clothes.

"You're a pretty smart Russian, you know that?" Napoleon smiled.

"Apparently it must be so as you persist in telling me time and again," Illya replied with a deadpan expression.

"Have I told you you're a smart-ass Russian too?"

Illya rolled his eyes...though he burst into laughter a second later.

"What's so funny?"

"I am happy that I am here for you to call me these ridiculous names of yours...do not stop my friend."

Napoleon grinned. "I promise chum, I won't. Scouts Honor." Solo gave the three fingered salute, sealing the promise. "I don't know about you but I think we'll enjoy some sun and sand, maybe some rum-filled drinks while the team finishes up for us."

"My friend, for once I am in complete agreement with you, but could I try one of those drinks with the little umbrellas in it?"

Napoleon chuckled," Sure anything you want buddy." He was so relieved and happy his partner and best friend was alive that he would have tried to capture the moon if Illya had asked for it...

He looked out over the waters of the lagoon making sure the shark had headed off, as Kuryakin readied the dingy to head to shore.

"Yep, sun and sand," Solo said to himself, "no swimming, that's for sure."


End file.
